Neon yellow, pink and green sticky notes line the hallway etched with a straight-to-the-point message: “Vote Alex Cooper for junior class president.” For slips of paper so small, it was a bold move for a student who was constantly matriculating. 

Four schools in four years is a daunting prospect. Still, Coppell High School junior class president Alex Cooper’s voice is confidently soft and down-to-earth, and perhaps that’s what renders her an effective leader. After moving from North Carolina and completing eighth grade at Coppell Middle School North, Cooper attended New Tech High @ Coppell her freshman year.

Cooper may have been an unfamiliar face to many,  but Cooper capitalized on her newness, using every opportunity to build a new connection. As a tutor at Kumon learning center, Cooper works with children and learned the valuable lesson of pacing. Cooper is also a part of the Coppell track and swimming teams.

Why did you choose to run for junior class president?

I wanted to give back to my community, and I wanted to have a voice because I truly believe what I think and do can have a positive impact on the world around me. I felt I would be the right person for the position because I know how to communicate with people, and I know how to dissolve arguments. [Winning] meant that people trusted me, and they had faith in the decisions I would make. It built my confidence. 

What was your path to leadership?

My path to leadership started in middle school when I had to adjust to a bigger space and community. I really felt comfortable in Coppell; it was way better than my old town and community. I feel more at home here than I did in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Subsequently,  I feel more comfortable in the decisions that I make, and I feel more comfortable around the people that I’m around. It was easy for me to make connections with a lot of people—it came to me naturally. In ninth grade, obviously, I disconnected from a bunch of people because of online school, but with 10th grade, I finally got to reconnect with all my friends and I got to meet amazing people. Having made so many new friends, I believed in myself to go out and get this role.

How do your leadership positions compare to one another?

Because I’m junior class president and junior [swimming] captain, I don’t have the main responsibilities that a senior may have, so I have some weights off my back and the support of upperclassmen. In swim, my primary responsibility comes to getting people together. For example, I’m planning a meetup for all 20 juniors, and I really want to get them all together to form a community, like track and football. We have to get to know one another and become a family to form that bond. In school, it’s more so focusing on what needs to get done  for the next juniors and up-and-coming students.

What are your goals?

Some of my goals are to connect personally with more people;  I want the new kids and people I meet to feel as comfortable as I do. My main goal is to make students feel involved and wanted because that’s how I felt when I came to Coppell. 

What is your favorite swimming memory?

I had my final meet of the year right after districts, and I didn’t do as I hoped at districts. I gained two seconds on my 500-meter freestyle, so I was mainly trying to beat that. But at this meet, I was feeling extremely tired, and after competing in 500-free, I lost five seconds, which is really good. I set a new personal record, and I branched out by trying a new event, so I felt really good. 

What is your favorite TV Show?

My favorite TV show is “New Girl” because it’s such a comfort show, and I can watch it all the time. Also, I really love the main character, Jess, especially because I related to her when I had bangs. She’s quirky and out there too, and I want to be quirky sometimes.

What do you foresee in the future?

I don’t see myself being an Olympian or anything, but I could definitely see myself swimming in college. Track, however, is just a mechanism to keep me fit, especially during off season. Ultimately, I want to be an architect. I really like the idea of creating spaces and actually building those spaces up in real life. I want to make impractical things practical. I want to make a house and you look at it, thinking “what is that?” But it’s practical, and it’s beautiful, that’s what it is. 

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